The Reverend Bob MacPherson—parish minister turned medical professional, advocate for criminal justice and women’s reproductive health, world traveller, thespian, singer, patron of the arts—died on 20 January 2018, aged 92.

A fifth generation Universalist, Bob was dedicated to UU institutions. He was president of the Universalist Youth Fellowship (1946–48) and as a young minister helped guide it toward merger with the American Unitarian Youth to form the Liberal Religious Youth, later recalling that “the youth led the way” to AUA and UCA consolidation (in 1961).

Robert Harold MacPherson was born on 9 February 1925 in Boston to Doris Hicks and Harold S. MacPherson and grew up in the West Somerville (MA) Universalist Church. Bob and his older brother David both studied at Tufts University and became ministers. Bob was ordained at his home church on 27 June 1948, but entered ministerial fellowship as a Unitarian minister and, until 1966, served parish ministries in Ohio, Maine, Mass. and NY.

Following a career turn, Bob earned a Ph.D. at Syracuse University, specializing in speech pathology. He started an audiology program at a Veterans Administration hospital in Asheville, NC, and eventually retired as Chief of Audiology and Speech Pathology there in 1993. All the while, Bob maintained associate fellowship with the UUA and would occasionally preach and conduct special services at UU churches.

Outside of his work in ministry and medicine, Bob was active with the Western Carolinians for Criminal justice, Planned Parenthood, Pisgah Legal Services, and as a singer and actor with the Asheville Community Theater. He also served on the Social Responsibility Committee of the UU congregation in Asheville.

At the time of Bob’s death, survivors included his son Ralph MacPherson, five grandchildren, three great- grandchildren, and his brother David MacPherson. His spouse, Ann Marie Haggerty MacPherson, died in 2015 and his son Robert Owen MacPherson in 2005.